Siren
by Nature's Mistake
Summary: Chapter 6: Siren meets Elizabeth's :freinds: including a certain captain, and gets an unexpected suprise at her wedding party. Sorry for the wait, guys.
1. Friends Forever

**Chapter 1: Friends Forever **

Author's note: First off, I'd like to start with a disclaimer stating that I do not own anything that has to do with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, those praises go to the lovely folks at Disney, and I think I speak for all girls that enjoy drooling over the hunky actors, congradulations and please accept the gift of this phony will leaving everything to me, and this large bomb. Anyway, now back to my author's note: G'day, how are you? This is another PotC gushy-romancy fanfic, because my other one got reported and deleted. Grrrrrrr... Anyway, I couldn't sleep one night, and I came up with this idea at one in the morning, so I wrote it until four, fell asleep, got a grand total of three hours of snooze time and then I woke up and had to go to summer camp. Sound fun? Yeah, thats what I thought.

Anyhoodle, this is my story, Siren. I hope Siren doesn't seem to mutch of a Mary-Sue. I tried desperately to make her a not-Mary-Sue... type... person ... thing. Anyway, here it is, the romance! The danger! Johnny Depp(drool)! Let the show... begin. (cue light fade out and opening credits.)

I met him at age five. We liked each other instantly, or at least I liked him, I think he just thought I was cute. We couldn't have been more different, he was tall, dark, and handsome, I was always sort of short, always a bit too chubby for my mother's liking, and platinum-blonde, with enormous blue eyes. I was kneeling at the edge of the dock, staring intently at a fish swimming around a rock. At that age, I was amused fairly easily, and the sight of the silver-finned creature completely entranced me, so mutch that I diddn't see the boy behind me untill he was kneeling beside me.

"What are you looking at?" He asked me, bending over the side and looking for what I was watching. His sudden presence where I hadn't seen him before frightened me, but I answered.

"A fish." I said, pointing a chubby finger at the dart of silver you could see around the rock.

"Ah, thats a bass, a big one, too."

"Whats a bass?"

"A fish that tastes good."

"I don't like fish."

"Then you obvoiusly haven't tried my mother's cooking."

"My mother doesn't cook, she sais its unsightly or something. My mother's a duchess."

"Wow, that makes you like royalty or something, right?"

"Not exactly."

"Well it seems better than my life."

"How can your life be bad if your mom cooks good?"

He laughed, he had a nice laugh, low, sweet and kind. The kind of laugh that makes you want to laugh too. "There are ways, kid, there are ways."

"My name's not Kid."

"What is it?"

"Siren."

"Siren... thats a beautiful name."

"Thank you, whats your name?"

"Jack. Jack Canning."

"I like you, Jack."

"I like you, too. How old are you?"

"Five."

"I'm ten."

"I'm five."

"I know."

"I know."

We looked at each other for a moment, and we both started laughing.

We where friends from that day on.

(A/N: I know this is boring, but it gets better! I PROMISE!!!)

Seven years later, I was twelve and he was seventeen, I was stuck in tutoring all day and he had a job, I lived in a manor next to governer Swann's, and he lived in a cobblestone cottage by the ocean, but we were best friends, we'd always be best friends. Always.

Or at least thats what I thought.

Unhappiness came as the form of a rock hitting my window, I diddn't hear it, I was too wrapped up in my dream of chipmunks made of chocolate (Weird, I know, but welcome to my world). The second rock jolted me into semi-consiousness, the third one actually woke me.

Outside my room there is a small, semi-circle balcony outside a window-like door, onto this I stepped, and I had to duck another rock to avoid being hit.

"Hey! Are you trying to kill someone?!" I hissed into the night.

"Siren?"

"Jack?" I stepped to the edge of the balcony and looked down at the cobblestone path that wound past my house. There he stood, bathed in moonlight, a tall, dark, handsome figure. No longer the skrawny, clumsy boy I knew, he had grown, well built, tanned and fair, it was no wonder he had girls lined up to the next city for but a compliment. "What are you doing here? Wait a minute, I'll come down."

"Wait! Stay up, I'm leaving soon. I... I came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? Well... when are you coming back?"

"I'm not... I... I'm running away."

"What? Jack..."

"Siren, I'm sorry, I have to."

"Your really serious about this? Jack, you can't! Remember, we're going to run away together, When I turn fifteen, we're going to run away and exlore great lands and... Jack, thats only three years away..."

"No! Siren, I have to go i now i ."

"Well.... why?"

"It's too late to explain... Siren, I'll never forget you, you'll always be my best friend..."

"Jack, wait!" I bolted inside and ran to my desk, where I started rummaging through a small gold box where I keep my most precious belongings. My hand brushed against something and I drew it out.

A necklace.

It was a dark green stone, smooth and oval, and dotted with something shiny that I expect was quartz, it was about the size of two digits of my pinky finger. I had found it one afternoon, I'd snuck away from mother and headed down to the beach with Jack. It had one natural hole in one end, I'd used that to string it with a gold chain.

Running back to the balcony, I tossed the necklace to him, and he caught it.

"Wow. Thanks. Wait, I've got something for you."

He slipped a ring off his finger and tossed it up. It was a man's ring, but no less beautiful. It diddn't even come close to fitting around my thumb, but tears came to my eyes as I looked at it.

"Goodbye, Jack...I'll miss you." I said, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill and ruin my perfect moment. I couldn't tell if he was crying, but I could hear emotion in his voice, strained, as if he was trying to suppress it, but it was there, undoubtedly.

"I love you, Siren."

He turned and ran, ran down towards the ocean where a small boat was anchored, before he reached the end of my street I whispered, tears finally spilling over my pale cheeks: "I love you... Jack."

It would be a very, very long time before I knew if he heard me.

A/N Oh! tear Poor Siren, left all alone... Jack, nice name, huh? I think we know a certain swashbuckilng pirate by the same one... different last name though.... coincedence? I think not!


	2. Time Passes

**Chapter 2: Time Passes**

Author's note: Okay, so chappy numero 2. I know it's kinda short, but heck, what can ya do? Thanks to johnnysgirl108, I love her name too! O.o... Wish I was named that... oh well, Tara'll do. Your encouragement has really helped me, I value your opinion. Please other readers, REVIEW! I makes me feel special... . Anyhoodle, on with the show...

Disclaimer: I own zip, and it sucks.

* * *

Time passed agonizingly slowly, years dragging on like centuries, nothing to look forward to, no sneaking out while mother was in the washroom to go goof off with Jack, no throwing rocks at those people who tease me, no splashing each other with ocean water and running home soaking wet to father's giggles and mother's yells, telling me what was deemed "proper" for a duke's daughter.

No more nothing.

No more Jack.

I was fourteen when I heard of the first attack. "It came wifout warning or mercy." A survivor said, "The ship was enormous, it seemed to burst out of the very fog, crept up on us like a cat on a mouse... 'orrible, brave men slaughtered... like animals. An they warned us, they did, told us to surrender or we'd die... and we did..... God help us, we did...." The man looked as if he might cry, but he managed to finish: " 'Is name was... was ... Sparrow, Jack Sparrow... that name'll 'aunt my dreams forever...."

Jack Sparrow. Just the name Jack made something inside of my chest feel light and heavy and cold and blazingly hot at the same time. Could it be? Could it be Jack Canning? It could be, he might have changed his name so no one knew who he was. Could this evil man, this... this... this _pirate_ really be the sweet, gentil, kind boy I had grown up with? The boy I had loved?

No.

We mourned Jack like one dead, and that's what he was in our eyes, dead. Lost at sea. Anyway, no one saw him after me, after that night. He was nothing but a wonderful memory, and a ring on a chain.

More years passed, nearly every night after I turned fifteen my mother had another friend and her son who just happened to be in the neighborhood. I realized the scheme to get me a husband after the third suitor.

It made me sick. And what did they want _me_ anyway? Sure, so I was a duke's daughter, but father and mother weren't _that _rich, I wasn't really all that pretty, I was short, chubby, had a problem with acne and not exactly what you would call good natured. Probably just for show, mother wouldn't want me to pass thirty without a marriage, but I was _fifteen _for God's sake.

They where all a bit older than me, I think the oldest man thrown at me was twenty-something, handsome, and some of the most boring people I had ever met. Once or twice, a man would come along who I liked, they where funny, kind and sweet. But then mother would find something about him that made him that made him ineligible, he was secretly seeing someone else, or his father wasn't really his father. None of the men given to me where what I wanted, anyway.

Buy what _did_ I want? Well, I wanted someone handsome, but not perfect. Nice, but not sappy. Funny, but not obnoxious. Someone who could be my friend... someone like... like...

Jack.

I had fantasized once or twice about his mother finding an unmarried duke after she ran away from her abusive husband (a few days after Jack went missing), Jack miraculously showing up, and both of them coming here. Jack and I would sneak away like we always did and run, laughing, down to the beach, where we'd splash each other like I was ten again. He'd build a fire, I'd sing some song and we'd laugh together under the stars. Then... when my eyelids grew heavy from the hour of night, we'd just sit and look at the moon, so big and low over the sea. Out of the blue, I'd turn to him, to find him looking at me, and he'd kiss me, sweetly, beautifully, with the kind of love reserved for fairy tales and love songs, not real life. But it would happen anyway, and we'd get married, and we'd live happily ever after.

But no. That would never happen.


	3. An Engagement

**Chapter 3: An Engagement **

Author's note and disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING, DAMMIT! Okay, glad to get that out of my system. Thank you reviewers, especially DLsam. I almost fell over when I read your review, thinking: "Someone liked MY story THAT much??? Surely not!!! But, after re-reading your review (and I didn't stop there, I kept re-reading... and re-reading... heck, I'm reading it again as I speak I loved it so much .) I realized that you meant it. Thank you, so much. Well, major plot-contructor... things, in this chapter. I know what your thinking : "Three freekin' chapters and no action??? Come ON! We wanna see some fights!"_ Mimes boxing punches>_But I do assure you, that our favorite rum-addicted, gold-toothed, kick-ass pirate will be here soon! Yay! Read on!

* * *

I was ninteen, after seven years, seven long, sad, lonely years of living Jackless. I met Elizabeth, the governor's daughter, and she was my new best friend.

My life changed that one day, one year after what Elizabeth referred to as the "Pearl Incident", in the warmth of a Caribbean December, when another friend came calling.

My mother looked at the two figures approaching through the haze of mist and her face perked up. "Siren! Come down here this instant!" Hearing her, I rolled my eyes and closed the book I had been reading, _Piracy: The Life and Times of the World's most Dangerous Pirates_. Recognizing her tone of voice, I called for my maid to help me dress. Ten minutes later, I was walking down the Grand staircase of the estate, an insanely done up corset threatening to crush my ribs, with a flowing gold-and-blue gown that matched my eyes. I rounded the corner into the sitting room with practiced ease, the world's fakest smile painted onto my face. The room in front of me was all mahogany and marble, polished marble floors as smooth as glass, mahogany walls polished until you could see your own face in it, mahogany and green velvet chairs and couches, enormous wooden book cases lined till bursting point with books and maps.

Paintings, one portrait of my father, (the artist was amazing, he had even captured the sparkles of humor in my father's blue eyes) one of my mother, and one of me (the artist had trimmed me down a bit, and downsized my nose, which since then I'd grown into)hung on the walls, paintings I loved, family, landscapes, animals, and one of a giant dragon, coiled, with a trail of smoke snaking from one edge of his mouth, so real you expected him to pounce and incinerate you any moment. Then there was the one of my father and mother. My mother in the front in all her youth's loveliness (not that she wasn't beautiful then, she was, but age had added more of a majestic undertone to her sharp, disciplined beauty) starring up into my father's eyes, who was standing behind her, arms wrapped around her(this one was my favorite, not because of the sheer reality and that I knew both of the people in such a beautiful painting, but because it wasn't what mother would deem "appropriate". More than once she'd considered taking it down, I'd heard her, but all of those times she'd thrown it one glance, smiled, and reconsidered). This room was my sanctuary, my haven. I wasn't even allowed to decorate my own room as I wished, so this was it. My room-away-from-my-room, if you get what I'm saying, this beautiful room decorated like a forest, earthy tones and beautiful paintings...

I turned my head to look at my mother and her friends. Mother sat near my father, stiff, agitated, like she was nervous. I couldn't help but add a bit of reality to my smile, mother was never nervous. I could see nothing but the backs of the visitor's heads, mostly their hair , one, obviously a woman, was jet black, silky and a little bit in a bun at the back of her head, letting the rest fall down around the face I couldn't yet see. The other from far away may look like black hair, but closer you could tell was dark brown. "You called for me, mother?" I said, my voice coated with honey sweetness. Mother looked up and muttered: "Siren, dear, may I introduce Lady Miranda Beuford, of London, and her son, Harry?"

I smiled again as both figured rose. The boy, Harry, looked a bit older than me, early twenties. He was handsome, but had a white scar across one eyebrow, and an abnormally large nose. The woman, Lady Miranda... well, beautiful was an insult to her. Her glossy black hair played around a face so pale it was almost white. Her sharp, long, upward-slanted brown eyes where streaked with gold and filled with fun. High cheekbones and a thin-lipped, smiling mouth completed her exotically beautiful, mothered face.

"Well, your Siren, aren't you." The lady said, more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, my Lady." I mumbled with a wobbly curtsey (I told you, I'm anything but ladylike).

"I've heard so much about you." She said, taking my hand. "And there's no reason to be so formal with me, we're among friends."

"More like acquaintances." Mother muttered.

"What was that, dear." Lady Miranda said, throwing mother a dangerous look.

"Nothing."

I sat down next to mother, who held my hand as if to protect me from this woman. I didn't understand why, she seemed... kind. Amazingly kind. We sat around and told stories, mine of my adventures with Jack as a child, much to mother's protest that I had a male as a friend. Father told his and mother's story, one I had heard about a zillion times, but I never got tired of. I saw mother blushing as father told the fairy tale romance, altered over time, but still true enough. Father finished it all off, as he usually did when we had company, by picking her up, dipping her till her hair brushed the floor and kissing her romantically as Miranda, Harry and I laughed.

But above all, I loved Miranda's stories the best. She told them as if they could have been real, and with such wonderful description that I felt as if I was there. Tales of worlds from which our eyes are only shielded by a slight layer of fog and magic as old as time. Stories of dragons and magic, mayhem and romance, all sorts of characters she swore she met herself. By nine, mother was drunk off of brandy and snoring loudly as father carried her to their room, father wasn't much better off, but still sober enough to climb up the staircase without falling over. Miranda seemed sober enough, and Harry had barely touched the brandy glass (I had always liked strong drinks, they gave me a feeling of strength and maturity, but whenever mother had company, she always swatted my hand away from the bottles. Humph.).

"Well, that was eventful." Miranda said. I laughed and Harry smiled.

"Why so cold, my lord?" I asked the boy, smiling, "You've barely spoken all night."

"Oh, its not you, dear." Miranda joked playfully. "My son simply loses all ability to speak whenever a female he's not directly related to walks into the room."

"So basically it's me." I said, smiling as Harry blushed a deep crimson.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's you." Miranda said, earning her a whap on the arm from her son.

"Lady Siren?" The boy asked, looking my way. I returned his stare, smiling inwardly as he fiddled nervously with his own hands. "Um ... may I interest you in a walk?" I smiled and got up, "Yes. Yes you can, my lord."

"Call me Harry."

"Only if you call me Siren."

"So I will, Siren."

* * *

"Your mother is an interesting woman." I said. We where walking down the same cobblestone walkway Jack had ran down six years ago. I knew with a sort of guilt/relief that if mother was awake, we'd be restricted to the family gardens. But I hadn't walked down this path in years, I missed it, if that makes any sense.

"Yes.." He said with a smile, "interesting... if that's what you'd call her. She's... really, quite lovely. She acts as though she was my age."

"I like her."

"I like you."

I looked up to se he was looking at me. And not as an object, like so many other men had. He looked at me not like I was a trophy, waiting to be won, but as a human being, as an equal. I blushed. Damn blushing, I get slightly embarrassed and my entire face goes red as a tomato.

"Ah... thank you..." I mumbled. We had reached the dock where I'd first met Jack. _And your with another guy... _my mind mumbled, _Wait! What the heck am I saying! Siren, as hard as it is to accept it, Jack is dead. He's not coming back! Oh, God, don't start crying! He would have wanted you to move on. If he loved you like you loved him, he'd want you to move on!  
_  
"Thank you, Harry." I said again, blinking away tears.

"Siren... your crying." Harry mumbled, touching my arm and turning towards me.

"I-it's nothing... just an eyelash in my eye, or something."

"No it isn't." He touched my chin lightly, making me look up at him. "Is it me? I know that the whole suitor thing can be awkward, but I really like you..and..."

I laughed, looking up at him. "No, it's not you. I'm just missing someone, that's all." I smiled, feeling tingly like I've never felt for one of these men. "I like you too."

He looked at me like he had never been happier, like it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. And the rest passed in a sort of light-headded blur. In what seemed like a second, he was holding my face, then his lips where on mine. He smelt good. Call me odd, but that was what stuck the most. He smelt like pine and cinnamon. The kiss was... nice. I felt light-headed and giddy. The way he stroked my face with his hands left trails that tingled. My heart levitated in my chest and hovered, pressing against the bottom of my throat.

"Marry me?"

"Yeah...."

And that was that. We where engaged. I got a beautiful silver ring, one ruby inlayed at the middle. I liked the ring, because when the ruby caught the light is stuck out so much from the light silver. As usual, Elizabeth practically exploded. She had been absolutely obsessed with marriage ever since Will proposed to her.

Then we got married. We had a bunch of kids, and I grew to love him. The end. No, I'm totally kidding. Sometimes I think about that and laugh. If my life had ended up like that... that would have been so easy, so... so....

Boring.

The life I've chose has put me through pain, so what? This is the life I chose, and I would not change it for all the silver and gold in the world.

Anyway, so mother, being mother, decided to throw a party the day before the marriage. Elizabeth, Harry and I watched, eyebrows arched in wonder, as the entire household bustled around like maniacs, preparing food for the party as well as the wedding it's self, clearing out the ballroom, running up guest lists blahdi blahdi blah. Throughout the entire time, Elizabeth had a look to her. A bit of a giggle, like she knew something I didn't. It drove me nuts, what was she hiding? I knew by her look it was something I wouldn't like, and it was only the day before the party that I realized just how serious the situation was...

* * *

A/N: Okay, so I know that this may sound a little odd, but I do promice you that things aren't as they seem here. He will come, and he will be mine. Oh, yes, he will be mine...

Tee hee.


	4. Enter, past

**Chapter 4: Enter, Past **

Disclaimer: I own nada.

"You invited _pirates_ to my _wedding_!" 

I couldn't belive my ears. This couldn't be true... and yet here was Elizabeth, hands clasped over her slim stomach, lips pursed, the edges lifted in a semi-smile, eyes opened wide. The picture of childish innocence.

"Um... yes?" Elizabeth grinned broadly, flashing white teeth.

I was not impressed.

"Your joking. Tell me, your joking!" 

"I'm joking."

"Really?" 

"No." 

I resisted hitting her.

"Oh, come ON! Siren, I thought you would like it! You said yourself that you would love to meet my friends." 

"_Someday_. I said I would like to meet them _Someday_." 

"What the heck is this, then?"

"Well, I diddn't mean my WEDDING day!"

I was yelling now, eyed bugged out in rage. Okay, so yeah, I did want to meet them. Meeting pirates sounded awesome, and I was a renouned tomboy, I'd rather climb a tree that spend an hour in dance lessons. But I was still a girl! So, like many other girls, I had fantasized about my wedding day, and I did NOT picture dirty ruffians in the front row.

Elizabeth was still untouched, "Well, thats what you got. I can't turn them away now, they're arriving today." 

"WHAT?" 

And so, in a very Elizabeth-like show of nerves, she just pushed past me.

Oh my _GOD_.

It was two days untill my wedding, the party was tonight, and now this?

"What was that about." Came a masculine voice from behind me. I turned, to see Harry there. 

"Harry! Oh, God. Elizabeth... she was just being Elizabeth." 

"Ah. You'll find she does that alot." 

"What, being Elizabeth or inviting pirates to my wedding?" 

"Yeah, she told me."

I laughed and he smiled, moving closer. He brushed a stray bit of pale hair from my face.

"You know what?" He murmured, cupping my face in his hands. I looked up into his brown eyes and smiled. He was so sweet. I could get used to this... I thought, Maby someday, I will love him. But for now, I just like him. A lot. 

"What?" It came out a whisper.

"You look adorable when your upset." I stepped on his foot. "Ow!" He muttered, before kissing me again. I clung to him, loving the bizarre feeling of someone's lips touching mine.

"Siren!" Mother's voice barked, jerking me back to the reality that we where, in fact in plain view of everyone. "Not in _public_." She hissed.

Parents.

I looked back at Harry and laughed at the look of embarassment on his face. I touched his cheek, making him look at me. "So... the Black Pearl folks will be here soon. I hope Elizabeth has something worked out something with James." I laughed and glanced at the Commodore, rigid and proper, as always, against the wall, supervizing. Harry laughed too. We both knew the way Norrington looked at our Liz. He loved her, and she diddn't love him. Poor guy. Inwardly, I promiced myself to never do that to anyone.

I was suprised at how punctual pirates could be. The Black Pearl arrived proptly at noon. They sailed under false colors - a crime in Port Royal, but they did it anyway - so, unless you saw the mannar of men on board, you would have never had known their true nature._ Okay, what did Elizabeth and Will say the Captain's name was? I thought rapidly. Oh, right, Jack Sparrow, evil pirate. Jack Sparrow. Jack. Jack Canning. BAH!_ I mentally knicked myself, _Siren, Jack dead. Gone. I know that somewhere inside you don't belive that, that e is out there, somewhere. But, if he is, he's far away, in the company of people who love him the same way you do. If he is, he's probobally forgotten you.  
_  
I teared up at the thought, but held my composure and blinked them away as I stood, ready to greet, on the docks of Port Royal. Harry stood beside me, holding my hand. I was thankful for that, because I could lean against him when lack of breath from my corset made me dizzy. He was so sweet, wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing the top of my head. James was with is, too. Along with Elizabeth and Will, who resorted to shouting and waving their arms when the Black Pearl came into the harbour. The faint roar of hello cries from the ship answered, becoming a deafening din as the ship got closer, untill Elizabeth (now on Will's shoulders) and her fiance had both lost their voices.

I saw him then, tall and handsome, at the bow of the Black pearl.

The Pirate Capitain, Jack Sparrow. At the sight of him, I heaved a sigh of relief.  
_  
Thank God,_ I thought. _Its not him_. 

Muhahahaha! Cliffy. Cliffy cliffy cliffy cliffy CLIFFY! Okay, I promice you there's more than this, there's always more than this. I think I'll make the next capter a songfic, are those tacky? Too mushy? Or is fluffyness good? I am SO sorry for the crazilly long wait. My dad had been gone for SO long. And he brought the laptop computer (on which I store this story) With him. He sucks like that sometimes. Plus I've been hit with a big life-changer.

My dad's getting Married. Cool, huh?

So... REVEIW. And vote on the songfic, please and thank you. I love you, reviewers!


	5. Meanwhile

**Chapter 5: Meanwhile...**

Okay... so. Bit of a change, here. I thought Jack deserved to have the mike for a bit so THIS CHAPTER IS IN JACK'S P.O.V.

JJJAAACCCKKKSSS! 

Well... so. Maybe it was the wait on the last chapter, but none of the people who reviewed in the earlier chapters reviewed in the last one... boohoo. But thank you, the people who did... This chapter is NOT the songfic I promised for two reasons:

(1)Jack deserved some dialogue.

(2) ONE FRIKIN' PERSON VOTED FOR THE SONGFIC. Well, THAT'S not fair... pleeease! I want a vote! Just for fun? Please?  
Well, the show must go on... (sigh)

For those of you who ignore my A N: This chapter is in Jack's point of view.

I had never expected it to go this far.

Ever. 

But it did, and I can't change it now.

Maybe it was just wishful thinking, maybe it was the first hint of the madness that would soon follow... but I could have sworn I heard her say she loved me.

I don't think I could have imagined the way those words sounded in my head. They echoed with emotion that only she could have brought into light. But I never forgot it. I never forgot the way her voice sounded, and I clung to it, hoping beyond hope that I might, someday, see her again.

I hadn't set out alone that night. That was daft even for me. I set out with Thomas Ebber, a neighbor and friend.

We had sailed for a week, I was conserved and quiet, haunted by what I had seen. Haunted with a horror only I knew. Because no one else had been there.

People have called me mad. Daft. Crazy. But they barely knew what caused it... if they had been there, seen what I'd seen...

They'd understand.

On the eighth day there was fog. Never a good sign. We where running low on food and water and Thomas had fallen ill. I tried too keep him awake, I shook him until his sandy blonde curls flopped onto his face, his once vibrant, laughing and very much alive green eyes clouded with pain. He drifted in and out of consciousness, I had to force feed him, and on the tenth day he died.

It was one of the hardest things I ever did, letting him go. He was all I had, other than a small amount of supplies and Siren's necklace. I don't think I ever let that go. It hung around my neck, smooth as I grasped it in my tired hands. The tears overflowed as I set Thomas into the water, and slowly let him go. Let him drift down, pale and calm.

And I sat and watched until he disappeared.

I ran out of food the next day, and that was when the rain started. 

It pattered down slowly, I was too tired to care. Too tired, too hungry and too sad. I barely remember the when the rain started to outright pour, I remember being hurled from the boat, enveloped in water, and I also remember not giving a flying turd weather I lived or died. 

Then there was comfort. I was in a bed, warm and welcoming. But it wasn't heaven, I knew that. I knew because my hand hurt like fire. And I was sicker than I ever thought possible. But I did see an angel.

She wasn't really there, and I knew that, but I know I saw her, I know I saw my Siren. She whispered to me, told me that I was going to survive. She smiled and I could feel myself smile, and I held her necklace in my hand.

I awoke a day later, I was fevered, but my arm didn't hurt as much. I looked down to see that it had been splinted and wrapped in gauze, which was almost thoroughly soaked through with red blood.

"You smashed your arm to smithereens. We managed to splint it properly, but you'll have a handsome scar once it's healed up. Your lucky. With a gash that big on your wrist, most people bleed to death." I looked over to find a man sitting there. His fair hair was long, tied back in a low, loose ponytail. A stained blue bandanna was wrapped around his head, and soft and welcoming brown eyes danced with concern and a bit of amusement from where he sat on a carved wood chair.

"Wh... what?"

"Your arm. It was broken in three places and bleeding like hell. We found you flung over a log, unconscious, in the middle of one of the worst storms I've ever seen." The strange man stood and I could see him better. He wasn't the tallest man I'd ever seen, about 5'11, but strong. With broad shoulders and I-know-what-I'm-doing-so-back-the-hell-off air. He was wearing an undyed cotton shirt, baggy and billowy and open in the front. Brown breeches where also baggy and rolled up around his knees. I also noticed he was barefoot.

"Thanks to the newbie... what's his name? Umm... Turner. That's it. That Will Turner patched you up good."

"Um... Sir?"

The man laughed. "Son, NEVER, and I mean never, call me Sir. You may call me Captain or Brenn." He turned to me, smiling. "Because that's all I am. I'm just Brennan Hampshire. Captain of the Black Pearl."

"Then... um... Captain. Where am I?"

"The Black Pearl, son. In water. Lots of it. A whole big puddle of water. Not exactly sure where, I'm always bad with that sort of thing... but we're still near where you where wrecked." He was pacing as he spoke. And I had slowly pulled myself up into a sitting position. 

"I'm feeling generous today, lad. And I've never been the most evil of all pirates... in person, not when I'm cutting someone's throat... and I've decided to give you a choice: We can drop you off at the next place we stop for supplies or you can join us." 

"P... pirates?" I stuttered, getting rather scared.

"Yes. You happen to be on the most successful pirate vessals in the Caribbean."

"Ah... and you want me to j... join you?"

"Or be dropped off. We'll be in Tortuga in to days. You have till then to decide."

Two days past, and we where in Tortuga. Over those days, I had come to know the crew, especially the Turner boy. Because that was all he was, really. A boy. No older than I. It was on that day, in the rough streets that always smelt of smoke, gunpowder and the same perfume that all of the Tortugan women seemed to wear, that I came to my final decision. There where sparrows on the street, arguing over a scrap of bread. They made me laugh, squabbling until they had broken the bread into absolutely equal pieces, they then flitted away. 

They looked so happy. So careless. So...

"Free." I muttered. "I want to be free."

That was it. From then on I was Jack Sparrow, I fought for freedom. When the Captain retired, he named me Captain. I was a pirate, I was actually a pirate. Then Barbossa and the rest of the crew betrayed me, back-stabbing dogs... I easily escaped the island, having fun making up a miraculous escape story. Returning to Port Royal WAS the hardest thing I ever did... I was stricken with fear, though I didn't let it show, I only paced at night, trying to think what I might be able to do if I where to meet Siren...

I didn't meet her, as you might have noticed. But I did meet Elizabeth, and she spoke of Siren. I never knew if it was my Siren, and I didn't ask. I just pretended it was. I pretended this tomboyish, silly daredevil was the girl by the same description I knew.

Then came the day I was asked back.

The mail boat came once every two months, and most of the mail we got was outdated and usually not ours (we opened them, anyway, you should se some of the love letters we picked up. Heh heh heh... absolutely hilarious.) But there was one I found written to the entire ship. 

**To the crew of the Black Pearl ******

**From Elizabeth Swann ******

**C/O Angus Swann, Governer In Port Royal ******

Puzzled, I opened it, the crew gathered around. I was one of the only ones who could read and I read it to the crew.****

**Dear Mr. Jack Sparrow and the crew of the Black Pearl. ****  
**

**Howdy! ****  
**

**I request your presence at the wedding of my best friend, Siren Main, Daughter of Duke Brennan Main, to her Fiancé, Harry Beuford, Son of Lady Miranda Beuford. On the thirty-first of December. I would say RSVP, but there's no real way you can respond, is there? So just come. ****  
****Miss you and can't wait to see all of you, ****  
**

**Elizabeth Swann ****  
**

The room was quiet for a moment, before a roar of cheers erupted from the crew, men where hoisted on eachother's shoulders, people where thrown, everyone screamed. But I remained quiet. Elizabeth had never told me Siren's last name, I hadn't asked, not really wanting to know. I preferred my own fantasy of her being MY Siren. This confirmed it. She was. She was truly my old best friend. They young woman I had secretly fallen in love with.

And now, she was getting married.

I had been too warapped up in my own thoughts to notice that the crew was looking at me, waiting g for me to say something.

"Captain?" Anna-Maria said, face questioning.

"A wedding? I love weddings! Drinks all around!" I said, seeming much more happy than I was as I threw the letter to the ground. I noticed Anna-Maria's questioning look as she stood in the doorway, one eyebrow raised, hands on her hips. "What?" I asked with my eyes. She didn't seem convinced, but she accepted a bottle of rum that was being chucked freely around, uncorked it and had a swig, all the while never keeping her eyes off me. I stood and pushed past her, walking to by room. I sat at my desk and sighed, putting my head in my hands.

And I cried.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I did.

The tears fell over my hands. Silent, sobless tears. She probably didn't even remember me... no one had when I had gone back. I had been so scared... so afraid. And now I had to go back. I missed Will, and Elizabeth. But I couldn't see her again. I couldn't let her see what I had become...

But what was I saying? I sat straight and slapped myself. "Pull yourself together, Sparrow! If the captain could see you sink this low, crying over some fat, meaningless wench you haven't seen for years!" I barked at myself. My cheek stung, and I rubbed it. "Your going to that wedding. And your going to have a great time."

I sat back on the chair, setting my feet on the desk. I smiled. 

"Yeah. It'll be fun."

God, I was stupid.

A/N: Hehehehehe. Next chapter: SONGFIC! (Maybe.)


	6. The Party

**_Chapter 6: The Party. _**

Author's Note: More coming very soon. This chapter and the next chapter used to be one big chapter, but I wanted to post something, so here. Sorry, DLsam. I did a songfic anyways. This is what a songfic is: A normal story. Except with the lyrics to a song/songs written between the paragraphs. Usually written while listening to the song, and (according to me) Should be read while listening to the song. If some of you don't know what Windows Media Player is, DOWNLOAD IT! It's free, and you can find a hell of a lotta songs on it. You can look this one up. There will be another songfic-the last chapter of this story. There's one chapter coming up in a while I think would be good as a songfic, too. If you don't like it, sorry. I do. And since I'm the author I think I get a bigger say in the matter. Heh heh heh... Also, I am amazingly sorry that this took so long (story of my life...). I've been struck down with a flurry of story ideas and then a full-on, ground-to-a-halt writer's block. Because of that, this chapter might not be very good.  
Humph.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean. And I know I'm going to have to say that every chapter throughout this ENTIRE STORY. It makes me sad (sniff) But it's true... so boo hoo.

I also don't own "Landslide" by The Dixie Chicks. Even though I love it. It's one of the only country songs I actually like... (sigh)... oh well.

Author's Note 2: Okay, I absolutely LOVE writing about girls - especially not particularly attractive girls - who have beautiful voices. Plus, that's part of the myth of Sirens. Mermaids who lewer sailors to their deaths with their beautiful voices. I know that when this story is set, it's something like three hundred years until this song is written... oh well.

Holy crap, long author's note... okay, shutting up. On with the story.

Note: Back to Siren's P.O.V.

* * *

I met them, one by one. Elizabeth introduced them, this was Mr. Cotton, this was Mr. Gibbs (he looked at me strangely, and took my hand like it was a poisonous snake). I was surprised when a tough-looking, but slightly scrawny, young man took off his hat to reveal a woman not much older than me. I realized that the even-baggier-than-everyone-else's shirt was to hide her breasts, and that her long, black-brown hair had been held up by the hat she had been wearing. She glanced at my hand, and hesitated, as if wondering weather or not to take it. She finally did, her dark-skinned hand callused and firm under my own. She looked surprised at the feel of my hands. Mine where also callused, though not as rough as hers. My left one had been burned when I was ten, and the rough scar still scraped anything I touched.

The he walked up. The _he_ I'd thought was my beloved Jack. He walked up to Will first, and they exchanged hoots and teases and back slaps. Then he went to Elizabeth. Taking her hand in both of his, he raised it to his lips and smiled his lopsided grin.

"How's my girl?" He sad/whispered, and Elizabeth smiled before jumping into his arms. They hugged fiercely. My mother fanning herself, upset by the public displays of affection. When they separated, both of their eyes where glistening with tears.

Then he came to me. I looked him over. He was wearing a billowy shirt and a leather vest, gray-brown breeches, soft leather boots and the hat and coat the announced him captain. His tanned olive skin was dirty, and his dark brown hair was knotted and braided. Shells, stones and other such trinkets hung from it. He walked with a sway, from the boat-onto-land transition, or if he was just drunk, I wasn't sure. My scanning eyes stopped at his (surprisingly, lined with thick kohl. I'd never seen kohl on a man before, always thinking it a lady's substance. It suited him.) as he stood in front of me, and something flashed. I'm still not sure weather or not I imagined it... the years I've spent in a world that is anything but kind have taken their toll on my mind, but I think I saw something. It was only there for a second, but it was like... recognition. A certain softness. And in a moment, I knew I never wanted to look away. I wanted to stay here, lost in his eyes, drown and never resurface. Then he spoke, and the moment shattered.

"And this lovely piece of work, must be the Lady Siren Main." He said, bowing. I stood tall, not smiling, not moving.

"Yes." I said, gripping Harry's hand in a vice grip (I heard him moan in pain, but I paid no heed). "And you, sir, must be the infamous Jack Sparrow." I said, challenging him with my eyes. I didn't know why, but for some reason, I didn't like him. Was it fear? No, I wasn't afraid of him...

_Maybe... _The annoying part of my mind mumbled, _it's how he made you feel_. I remembered the warm feeling I'd gotten when I'd seen his eyes, and for a moment, I was crazy. For a moment white-hot fire sprung from deep inside me and rushed through my body. It was those eyes... those eyes...

I blinked, and the feeling was gone.

But my comments had not deflated his air in any way. He smiled again, and I saw a glint of gold from the corner of his mouth.

"She's charming, Liz." He called and continued walking. I followed him with my eyes, not trusting him anywhere near my fiancé, or my parents. He was amazingly charming, though. My mother, seeing not a man, but a bloodthirsty Pirate, could not be tricked by any amount of charm and kept her distance. But my father an he got along wonderfully. From the second they met, they seemed to know each other, Positive it was my imagination, I ignored it.

Later that night, I gasped as Elizabeth did up my corset.

"Elizabeth! Ow...Good God, woman. Have some mercy!" I gasped, clasping a hand over my chest and trying, with no avail, to breathe.

"I'm getting back at you for wrenching out half my hair an hour ago." She muttered. I smiled, giggling, as I remembered her expression and squeal as I'd dragged the brush through her hair.

"Say what you want, I think you look fine." I said, flashing her a grin that she could see through the mirror I was standing in front of. She smiled. "Yes, you did a good job." She sighed and wrenched once more on the laces, making me cry out in pain. "There's one thing I don't understand, though: I got engaged before you, and you're getting married before me."

"That's because your parents don't want you to spend your whole life a trophy to curtsy and smile and do needlework and dance all nicely..." I shuddered. "Well, maybe he does, but your mother doesn't need everything to happen now now NOW." I said, snapping my finders with every 'now' and instantly regretting the unneeded use of oxygen when it caused a wave of dizziness to wash over me.

"Good point." She said, doing up the last lace and running over to where my dress hung. I turned, and let her pull it on. "We've got to do something with that hair..." She said, walking over to my dusty makeup table I almost never used. She picked up my silver brush and headed over to where I say on my bed. She sat behind me, calmly and gently working knots from my nearly-white hair.

"Liz?" I asked.

"Mm-hmm." She answered, picking up a sheer purple ribbon.

"Can you tell me about Mr. Sparrow?"

"Jack? He's a complete loony, but one of the most amazing men you'll ever meet." She said, starting to braid my hair.

I made a face. "Anything more specific? Where he came from, his background, anything?"

I could feel her shrug. "Not really. You as much as I do, since you've asked for the pearl story about ten billion times." She emphasized the word _billion_, adding a comical accent. I couldn't see her, but in my mind, I could see her eyes open wide and mouth gape as she said it.

I smiled, though I was disappointed.

"Why? Are you sweet on him?" She tied the braid, and I ran my hand down it. My hair reached nearly to my knees, slanting up to around my shoulders near the front. Elizabeth's even, beautiful braid had shortened it, and she'd woven in the ribbon. About four inches of the shortest of my shorter hair had been left out, hanging heavy and framing my oval face.

"You do remember I'm getting married, right?" I shot back.

Elizabeth grinned. "You're not married yet." She got up and came back with a pair of earrings made from a twisted, dark metal. The design looked almost as if it had been made of leaves, and it held the darkest red stone I'd ever seen.

She hooked them onto my ears, which had been pierced (by William and Elizabeth much against my will. I hate needles) a few months ago. They felt heavy, but comfortable. She stood me up and once more brushed the hair that had been left down. She carefully lined my eyes with kohl and smudged it outwards ("It looks dramatic!" Liz said to my protests against makeup). She smoothed on a balm that stained my lips a dark shade of red (again, ignoring my protests).

She was smoothing out my skirts when I replied to her earlier comment.

"You're right. I'm not married yet. But I will be tomorrow, so I've no time for a fling." I said, almost disappointed.

Elizabeth grinned, "It's never too late for a fling..." She looked at me and her smile faded.

"You don't love him, do you?"

"Who, Harry?" Elizabeth nodded. I sighed, "No. No, I don't. I will someday. But as of yet, I don't." I glanced at her and forced a smile, "You're lucky. You got to marry for love."

Liz snorted. "Yeah. To a pirate who can barely show his face in England. I'm lucky James is infatuated with me, or he'd be dangling from a rope by now. He's the only reason I could invite my friends for your wedding." She smoothed out the last wrinkle and looked me over again. "You look beautiful." She said, smiling. I rolled my eyes, never able to imagine myself as anything more than chubby and imperfect. She took my shoulders and turned me.

A pretty, curvy pale girl looked back at me. Her hair was silky and fell gracefully to her bare shoulders. The rest of her hair was tied back with a red ribbon braided into it. Her huge blue eyes dominated her face, made to look even bigger by the kohl smudged around it. She blinked too often, as I do. But her blinking didn't make her look skittish, or untrusting. Just sweet. Her lips where an amazing shade of crimson, standing starkly against her pale skin. The red sleeves of the low-cut dress she wore where sheer, and you could see her arms. This see-through gauze seemed to be an under-dress, but fell slightly over the top of her skirt. The rest looked strapless, laced in the front and a wide array of shades of red. Different intertwining designs crept their way up her bodice, which accented her chest (You could tell her breasts where humble, but the dress made them seem fuller and perfect). A deep red silk skirt fell to the floor, flaring out around her feet and trailing behind her. One side was attached to a glove on her right hand, and raised when she moved her hand. The same earrings I'd seen earlier dangled from her ears, and a ribbon choker with a ruby at the front clung to her neck. A chain of the same metal hang from it, and another, smaller ruby lower on her chest.

It took me a moment to realize that girl was me.

I gasped and clapped my hand over my mouth. The pretty girl did the same. I waved my arms around, and the girl copied. I stuck my tongue out-so did the girl, I crossed my eyes- so did she.

Holy crap.

I was still nothing compared to Elizabeth, who was wearing almost the same thing but in shades of green and blue.

"Wow. Elizabeth... I..."

"You're beautiful. Well, more so than usual."

That was a lie, I wasn't beautiful usually. But I was now... I was beautiful. Siren Main, future duchess, was beautiful.

It was a concept I wasn't going to get used to anytime soon, I was used to being Sireny-wireny. The imperfect daughter of a woman who needed everything to be perfect. I was the girl who bought boy's clothes from the stable hands and climbed trees. I was the girl who's best friend in her whole life had been a boy from town. I was...

I deep, masculine holler from the next room interrupted my train of thought. I jumped (again, so did the girl in the mirror. This was going to take some getting used to...).

"What the hell was that!" I asked Liz, who looked puzzled herself. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. She giggled.

"It sounded like Jack..." She said. We went to the door and opened it, just in time to see Will wrestle Jack into his room.

"Jack! Calm down! You have to brush your hair..." Will said. Jack broke free and attempted to run. He didn't get half a step before Will tackled him again. "No! Nonononono! You can't make me!" Jack fumbled for his sword, realized it wasn't there, and tried to crawl away. Will still had his legs in a vice grip, and all Jack managed to do was flop around like a dying fish. "Will! Please, God, show mercy." He whined before Will managed to shut him into the room.

From the door to my room, Liz and I looked at each other. For a second there was complete silence, then we burst out laughing.

Careening in a fit of hysterics, Liz and I stumbled into the room and onto my bed. About fifteen minutes, out final giggles died down. Someone knocked on my door, and I stood to answer it. My maid, Eloise, stood there.

"Milady Duchess told me ter tell ye that yer both wanted at the party." She said with a smile. "Yeh look gorgeous, Siren, mam." She said. I smiled and gave her a pound as a tip. "Thank you, Eloise. We'll be down in a moment." She grinned and left.

When I turned again, Liz was in front of the mirror, guiding a few hairs back into place. She looked at me and smiled.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Ready." I answered.

As we passed the room Will would be sharing with Elizabeth (the same room we'd seen William wrestle Jack into a few minutes ago) we heard snipping.

Of course, we hadn't meant to eavesdrop or anything. But the hilarious look on Jack's face as Will dragged him into it had made our ears sharper to any suspicious sounds. And plus, the door was thin, sound passed through it easily. Especially around the hinges.

With my ear pressed against the cold door I listened. No words where heard, just snip, snip, snip. At my waist Liz crouched, her ear pressed against the hinge as well.

Snip. Snip.

"What are they doing?" I mouthed to Elizabeth. She shrugged.

Snip. Snip.

Finally, voices:

"Ow! Damn it, Will, that was my ear!" Jack's voice hissed.

"Sorry."

"Siren!" My mother's harsh bark cut through the still air. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, mother."

"I called for you. Come. Now." She grabbed my hand and lead (dragged) me down the hall, a short flight of stairs, and a narrow corridor. Liz followed, rushing to keep up with my mother's brisk steps. I could hear the soft hum of voices from below us. Mother stopped us in front of the grand staircase, and I could see the many people dancing, talking and eating in the ballroom. The peaceful sounds of music from the small orchestra mother had ordered drifted to my ears, and the knot of anxiety in my stomach loosened. I closed my eyes and just listened for a moment, singing softly and wordlessly along to the soothing notes.

My voice, according to me, had never exactly been nails on marble. I could sing better than Elizabeth, who on many occasions tried and failed to entertain her father's guests. I had always found it easy, no one had shut me out of the room or told me to stop when I sang. My voice was high, and I could reach notes many couldn't.

A thought popped into my head, and I looked around at the small group assembled at the top of the staircase. I waved quickly to Elizabeth as she descended, arms linked with Will. (Who had somehow miraculously gotten to the staircase before us.)

"Where's Harry?" I asked mother, who was looking me over, brows furrowed.

"What, dear? Oh. He's already downstairs. You'll see him in a moment. Now..." She trailed off then looked into my eyes (only an inch higher than her own. I was short. Mother was shorter), a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Are.. are you sure you're my daughter?" She did smile this time, and took my hand. "You look lovely."

My insides twisted with pride. Mother had never said anything like that to me before. I squeezed her hand gently and turned towards the staircase. Like I'd practiced for hours with mother before, I set my hand lightly on the banister and took the first step. I heard the announcer start:

"The lady Siren Elizabeth Jacqueline Main. Daughter of Duke Brennan Main and Duchess Jacqueline Main."

I scanned the crowd and found Harry standing with Elizabeth and Will. His back was turned to me. I swallowed and looked away, smiling at the crowd.

The brisk walk to the staircase was catching up with me. I felt faint. Quickly, I leveled myself out with the deepest breath my overly tight corset could allow and glanced back at Harry. Will looked up, grinned, and tapped Harry on the shoulder, motioning for him to turn around.

He did, and the smile on his face quickly washed away. He went pale, and didn't seem to recognize anything but me.

I got to the bottom of the steps, and he walked over to me.

He didn't speak. His lips where parted, and he was looking me over.

_Oh, no_... I thought, _he doesn't like me_.

"S... Si..." He stuttered. He looked down, face going crimson.

"You look..." He started.

He was wearing a simple suit, black. His shoulder-length hair was pulled back. I tried not to smile as his face turned a deeper red. I tried to finish for him:

"Tacky? Overdone? Silly?" I brainstormed, expecting the worst.

"... beautiful." He finished, finally meeting my eyes. He smiled nervously and fiddled with his sleeve.

Warmth crept up my body, and I grinned, taking his hand, "Thank you." I said.

Then I turned, and saw him.

And the world melted away.

* * *

Blah. It's bad. Oh, well.

Another cliffy. Don't you just love me?


End file.
